A Story of Wild Hearts
by Airezi
Summary: Why is it that in The Care Bears movie the cousins don't' have tummy symbols, but do in A New Generation? This story explains why, following the courageous care bear cousins as they fight to save one of their own...no matter what the consequences.
1. Rainy Day Party

_A/N- Hey everyone! Though this is not 'technically' a sequel to my other fic, A Story of Pure Hearts, I would recomened reading it first so that you will understand who a few characters are. Here's the link- It's a short fic but for those of you who don't have time (or forgot what happened) here's a quick summary-_

Lost Heart Leopard and Pure Heart bear were best friends in the care bear family. Pure Heart was captured by Dark Heart and he stole her tummy symbol to gain extra power. True Heart and Noble Heart made an attempt to rescue Pure Heart from Dark Heart but failed when he attacked the other cubs. So they split up the care bear family so that Dark Heart could not destroy them and defeat all hope of bringing caring to earth.

This story takes place about a month after the cubs are separated. Enjoy!

* * *

**Ch. 1- Rainy Day Party**

_Wild Heart Wolf here, Lost Heart leopard told me that it was my turn to tell the story this time. He said that this one is __my__ story…Well I don't know what he's talking about, all the cousins were involved not just me. Heck the same thing would have happened even if I hadn't been there. Anyway, on to the story. I'll do my best to tell it, even though I'm not half the storyteller Lost is._

* * *

"Lift it higher Lotsa Heart!" 

"Cozy can you give me a hand?"

"Hurry up, he'll be back soon!"

Balloons, streamers and a giant yellow banner with the word "Thanks" in blue letters decorated the clearing in the forest of feelings. Noble Heart had gone over to Care-a-lot to check in with True Heart and the care bear cubs, and the cousins were preparing a surprise party for him.

"Oh no!" Brave Heart lion moaned as he dropped all the fruit he'd been carrying to one of the tables and it rolled all over. On hands and knees he hurried to pick up the oranges and bananas before someone could step on them and trip.

"Here," a tan paw offered Brave Heart one of the dropped apples.

"Thanks," he said sincerely, then looked up. "Lost Heart!" The lion was so surprised he dropped all the food he had just gathered up again.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the leopard apologized, helping Brave Heart re-gather the dropped items a second time.

"You didn't scare me, I was just surprised. I don't think anyone's seen you for a week. How are ya?" Lost Heart shrugged, not looking Brave Heart in the eye. The lion watched his friend for a moment and went back to work, trusting that Lost Heart would talk when he was ready. But the half-grown leopard didn't speak as he walked around, helping the rest of his family with the decorating.

"He's back! He's back!" Playful heart monkey hollered from the trees, swinging down to the ground to help with some last second preperations.

"Surprise!" the teenaged cousins yelled as Noble Heart appeared from around the multi-colored trees. Stunned, the horse allowed Losta Heart Elephant and Treat Heart pig to pull him forward, looking around at the colorful decorations.

"We wanted to thank you." Proud Heart Cat said.

"Yeah, for everything you've done for us Noble Heart." Piped up Cozy Heart penquin.

"Wow guys…" the purple horse stammered. All the care bear cousins were still shorter than their foster father, so even from the back of the crowd Lost Heart could clearly see the happy tears wetting Noble Hearts eyes.

"And we wanted to have a party!" Playful Heart monkey laughed, doing a cartwheel in front of the crowd. "Now who wants to play pin the tail on the donkey?" Laughing the cousins rushed forward to enjoy the celebration, pulling Noble Heart with them. From the edge of the forest Lost Heart watched the festivities, sipping some of the punch he'd helped make, face devoid of expression. When no one was watching he slipped forward, returning the empty cup to the table and turning to melt back into the shadows.

"Are you leaving already Lost?" The leopard looked up in surprise, Wild Heart Wolf stood before him, a colorful cone shaped party hat perched on the gray-blue fur of his head. "We'd all like you to stay a while you know." Wild Heart said simply. Lost nodded in understanding, but kept walking into the forest. "Well bye then, see you later?" Wild Heart watched the silent care-bear cousin disappear, into the Forest of Feelings, then turned, a little subdued, back to the party.

As the forest trees closed in around him Lost Heart breathed a sigh of relief, closing his eyes and welcoming the cool silence. "That's not my place anymore," he murmured to himself. Raindrops began to fall, splashing on the tan fur of his upturned face. _It had been raining that day too,_ he thought. Taking a deep breath, the leopard cousin began walking again. Lost in thought he stepped mindlessly through the trees, instinctively pushing the dripping leaves out of his way as he wander through the memories of his mind.

"_Come on Lost! Catch me if you can!" Pure Heart giggled as she raced up the stairs to the slide, throwing a daring grin back over her shoulder at him. Lost Heart pelted up after the black cub, throwing himself headfirst down the slide in an effort to catch her. Pure Heart yelped in surprise as he slid off the end, trying to tag her with a paw as he rolled by. "Missed me!" she laughed, racing off again. Leopard and bear chased each other all over the playground, oblivious to anything but their own game._

"_Gotcha!" Lost Heart finally declared, tagging Pure Hearts shoulder as she tried to climb up the chain link ladder. A peal of thunder frightened both cubs, and they yelped as raindrops began pelting them from the sky._

"_Under here," Pure pointed to one of the rainbow tube tunnels. She crawled in and Lost Heart followed, shaking his head to get the raindrops out of his ears._

"_I hate getting wet!" he whined, trying to wipe the damp from his spotted coat. "I don't like when it rains!"_

"_But the rain's neat!" Pure Heart contradicted, peeking past him into the storm._

"_I still don't like it." He grumbled, looking angrily at the water dripping from the top of the tunnel to the ground._

"_Come on." Pure Heart tugged at his arm._

"_What?"_

"_Let's go play in the rain!"_

"_Are you crazy?"_

"_No! The thunder stopped now, come on!" With that Pure Heart crawled out of the tunnel, jumping into a newly formed puddle as the gently falling rain darkened her gray-black fur._

"_Pure!" Lost Heart called after her, anxious about being left alone._

"_Come on!" Pure yelled back, gesturing with a paw for him to follow. Lost shrunk back, trust in his best friend fighting against his fear of the storm. Swallowing and closing his eyes the Leopard cub rushed out before he could change his mind. Reaching Pure, Lost tried to stop himself, but fell and skidded across the slippery, wet clouds._

"_Fun!" Shouted Pure, taking a few running steps then throwing herself on her belly. Laughing as she slid by and splashed him with a wave of water Pure looked back at Lost and he couldn't help but grin._

"_Bet I can go farther!" he challenged._

"_No way!" The two cubs lined up, counted down, and raced forward a few steps, sliding across the solid clouds, spraying water everywhere._

The rain was only a light mist when Lost Heart reached the tree-house he had built when he needed to be away from his family. He'd been spending more and more time here as the summer wore on. Carefully he climbed up the wet rungs, going inside and grabbing a towel to dry off his fur as he looked out and watched the rain fall—alone.


	2. Entrapped in the Shadows

**Ch Ch. 2- Entrapped in shadows**

_Wild Heart: Ok, ok, the last chapter was kinda a lame introduction I know, not much happening, but that's the way life is a lot of the time. Good, simple days where nothing extraordinary happens, but I promise, this is where it starts to get good._

* * *

"We're going to earth," Noble Heart announced and was nearly overwhelmed by a roar of excitement from the cousins.

"Yipee!" Playful heart monkey yelled, somersaulting in place. The others were just as ecstatic, even Gentle Heart lamb and Shy Heart mouse, the quietest, were jumping in excitement.

"When can we go?" Brave Heart lion asked breathlessly.

"Tomorrow," Noble replied, dislodging Swift Heart rabbit from the bear hug she had leapt onto his back to give. "And since you asked Brave Heart, you can be the first to go."

"Mmm..mee? the lion asked, half grown mane shivering from the stammered words. Seeing his friend was nervous Wild Heart quickly spoke up,

"Can I come too? I'd feel better doing my first mission with Brave Heart." The silver-blue wolf turned towards their guardian with the question as Brave Heart let out a small sigh of relief. Noble Heart nodded.

"We're going to go to earth!" Playful Heart shouted again, tossing confetti into the air. Lotsa Heart elephant trumpeted loudly with his trunk and the rest of the family continued their party, celebrating the return of caring missions as well as thanking Noble Heart.

* * *

The next day the cloud car touched down on Earth and disappeared with a small pop when the three cousins hopped out. "Now don't wander off," Noble Heart reminded the young lion and wolf.

"We won't Noble," Wild Heart grumbled good-naturedly, happy to be on Earth for his first mission. He had never had the chance as a young cub before Dark Heart had abducted Pure Heart and ended caring missions. "We're not babies any more!" he reminded his guardian, who chuckled.

"I know, I know. Now let's go find this kid." The trio was at the summer camp where True Heart had gone for the very first caring mission. The camp offered both day camp opportunities and weeklong stays for children. The boy they were looking for was at camp for the first time, and was getting extremely homesick.

"I think that's him," Brave Heart said, motioning Wild Heart over to peer around the cabin with him. Both youngsters peeked around the wooden building onto the archery field. A group of children about 10 or 11 was practicing their stance with a bow; the one nearest to them sported a head full of distinct, copper colored hair.

"Yep, that's the one Bright Heart saw through the starscope," Noble Heart confirmed as he met up with them.

"Should we go talk to him now?" Wild asked, getting ready to walk right up.

"No let's wait," Noble heart said, making the wolf pause in his tracks. "We'll let them finish the activity and then talk to him during the break. The three animals stayed out of sight for the next half hour, from watching the boy it didn't seem like his homesickness was bothering him that much. Wild heart was extremely impressed when the boy nailed the bulls-eye on the practice target the class was shooting at.

"He's pretty good at that." The wolf commented, as all the other kids cheered and clapped the boy on the back. Noble heart and Brave heart nodded in agreement. After a short time a bell tolled from near the center of camp, and kids began racing from each direction. Counselors began dishing out hot dogs, hamburgers and other food for supper and with the nice weather the children scattered around the picnic tables and grass near the kitchen building.

"Let's go!" Wild heart yelped, jumping up eagerly. However, he and Brave Heart let Noble lead the way to where the boy sat under a leafy maple, chewing on his hot dog.

"Hello," Noble Heart said. "May we sit with you?"

"Um…sure…" The boy replied after he swallowed, looking at the three animals with a puzzled face. He watched, face scrunched up, as the wolf, horse and lion settled themselves around him. "My name's Nate," he finally announced, taking a quick bite of his hot dog and asking with a full mouth, "Who are you guys?"

"I'm Brave heart," the lion chirped up, eager to start cheering the boy up. "And this is Wild Heart Wolf," he nodded to the silver and blue furred creature, "and this is Noble Heart Horse."

Noble Heart nodded a greeting, "We've come down to help you Nate."

"Help me?" the boy looked confused as he paused mid-way to taking another bite of his hotdog. "With what?"

"With being homesick," Wild Heart stated matter of factually as he bit into the apple he had grabbed from the table. Wild always preferred going for the direct approach when speaking to someone instead of being discrete and Noble Heart flinched at the bluntness of his statement.

Nate, however, didn't seem to mind, "It's weird." He responded, crunching a potato chip. "I never feel sad when I think about home during the day, I love being at camp. All the activities and kids are awesome."

"We saw you on the archery range, " Wild Heart commented, gray eyes beaming up at the boy. "You were an excellent shot!"

"Thanks," Nate blushed at the praise and hid his red face behind a paper cup of fruit punch. The ten year old swallowed a sip of the juice, then continued speaking. "But when it gets to be lights out time I suddenly wish that I was home in my own bed and my mom was tucking me in." His blue-green eyes began to grow moist at the thought, but Nate shook his head and turned back into his happy and curious self. "How exactly did you guys know I was homesick anyways?"

"We're part of the care bear family," Brave Heart replied, his tail tip lazily twitching from side to side as he rested in the grass. "It's our job to know and try to make things better on earth." Nate took another bite of his hot dog and nodded in understanding.

"Hey Bulls Eye!" A kid shouted in an agreeable voice, "Who are you friends?" Several boys came over and sat down with Nate and the cousins. He introduced his new friends to the other campers, the young boys quickly said hello before digging into their supper with relish. They began talking and joking about their activities from the day and the cousins watched as Nate easily joined in the conversation.

"Let's not say anything around the others," Noble Heart whispered to the younger two, who nodded. For the rest of the meal the small group ate companionably together and befriended the three care bear cousins. Their new friends invited the animals to come to the evening campfire and soon they were all roasting marshmallows over the glowing embers.

"Yum," Brave Heart smacked his lips eagerly as he pulled a perfectly toasted marshmallow from the flames.

"Oh man! I burnt mine again!" Wild Heart moaned as his own burst into flame and he swiftly pulled it out to blow out the flame.

"Oops," Nate laughed as Wild Heart had to blow several times to completely put out the now black marshmallow. Looking disgruntled with his burned treat Wild Heart shrugged his shoulders and popped it into his mouth anyways. Nate grinned at him, "You're funny Wild Heart."

"Fank ooo," Wild heart choked out through his full mouth. Nate laughed at him again, then turned back to his own marshmallow toasting slowly over the red logs.

"Thanks you three," he said quietly after a moment. He and the care bear cousins were the only ones on their side of the fire and his almost whispered comment didn't carry past their ears.

"We haven't really done anything," Wild heart pointed out as he swallowed the marshmallow.

"Not about being homesick, but it's still nice to make some new friends. I had fun tonight hanging out with you." Nate continued in a quiet voice.

"So did we," Brave heart replied sincerely.

"You know what Nate," Noble heart said in his gentle way. "I don't really think you're really as homesick as you think."

"Huh?" All three youngsters looked at the purple horse in puzzlement.

"Well not really. I think that it's just when night comes and you have nothing else to think about you're reminded of home and everything that makes it special." Noble heart met Nates' inquiring eyes. "I think all you need to do is spend some time going over all the great things that you've done at camp before you try to fall asleep."

"Hmm," Nate murmured, thinking about what Noble had just said. "It is pretty quiet at night, and I can't fall asleep right away so I do spend a lot of time thinking about home."

"I'll bet some of your cabin mates are homesick too; that's why they're quiet, they're thinking about their homes too. What about like at dinner tonight, wouldn't it be neat to go around the cabin and have everyone tell their favorite part of the day? It would give you something else to think about besides home." Nate pulled his toasted marshmallow from the flames, a thoughtful expression on his face as he took the gooey mess off the stick and placed it in his mouth.

"I like that idea," he finally said, swallowing noisily. "And I'll bet the other guys will like it to, Sam was looking a little sad when we turned out the lights last night too."

"See, it will help you _and_ your friends." Wild Heart pointed out, popping a raw marshmallow into his mouth after giving up trying to roast one without burning it.

"Yeah, you're right." Nate smiled as he threw his roasting stick into the fire.

"Hey Nate," one of his friends called, appearing from the shadows. "Come on, it's time to get back to the cabin."

"Ok, just a second." He replied, standing up and facing the cousins. "Thanks a lot, Brave Heart, Wild Heart, and you especially Noble Heart."

"No problem Nate," Noble Heart replied. "I hope we really helped, I wouldn't want you to get so homesick that you went home and missed all the fun of camp."

"Don't worry I won't now. Especially if I can help someone else not be homesick and stay here." With a giant smile Nate waved goodbye and followed his friends toward the cabin.

"Ready to go boys?" Noble Heart asked Wild and Brave Heart after he had left.

"Sure, can we put out the fire first?" Wild asked.

Noble Heart nodded, "Good idea, I think there were some buckets down by the beach. Why don't you grab some lake water and we can put it out?"

"I'll come with you," Brave heart volunteered, and the two set off into the twilight.

"Got it?" Wild Heart asked anxiously when they had reached the beach and filled up the buckets.

"Yep," Brave Heart grunted, lifting a large bucket full of water with both paws.

"Watch out for that root!" Wild heart yelped as they headed back.

"Where?" Brave Heart asked, just as his foot collided with the tree root and he fell forward. "Oh no!" he moaned as the bucket slipped from his grip and spilled out all the water as it rolled away.

"I'll get it!" Wild Heart said, setting down his own bucket and chasing after the runaway. The metal container came to a halt near the front of a nearby cabin and he raced over to pick it up. Suddenly a shadow detached itself from the corner of the building and stepped toward the bucket. Wild Heart froze, staring hard into the dark, trying to make out the shape. A puffing Brave Heart appeared beside him, then yowled in fright as he too spotted the shadow. The shadow dropped the metal bucket with a loud clang and raced toward them. It pushed between them in a blur of speed, knocking both shocked cousins off their feet, and hurtling up the cabin steps.

"What are you doing!?" A flash of red light preceded a growling voice. Wild Heart swore he heard a whimper come from the shadow perched on the top stair, and some instinct made him cringe closer to the ground, out of sight of whoever was standing in the doorway. "Get in here," the voice commanded roughly, muttering, "useless bear." The shadow disappeared quickly inside and the door slammed shut. Wild Heart and Lost Heart lay on the ground, dumbstruck.

"Was that…" Brave Heart couldn't finish his own question he was so stunned.

"Uh huh," Wild nodded, cautiously poking his head up before climbing to his feet. "Dark Heart's in there…and he's got Pure Heart!"


	3. Serious Matters

**A/N- **Ok, so I have felt really quilty about leaving this story unfinished, so I have decided to continue posting it now that I have all my other ones complete. Please R&R and I will be more motivated to finish it up before I start another fic.**

* * *

Ch Ch. 3- Serious Matters**

_I managed to convince Brave Heart not to tell Noble what we had seen. Quickly we refilled the bucket and hurried back to him, giving the cabin where Dark Heart hid a wide berth. On the quiet journey home my thoughts raced furiously; the lonely image of Lost Heart Leopard as he walked away from the party still fresh in my mind._

* * *

"Meet at the climbing tree when the moon rises, but don't tell Noble Heart! Pass it on," the whispered order was passed amongst the care bear cousins as Noble shoed them off to bed after a story. No matter how old they got all the cousins still loved to hear his stories.

"Why?" several whispered back curiously, only to have those passing the message to them shrug in confusion. Keyed up in anticipation the dozen or so animals crawled into their various beds, calling good nights back and forth to one another or their horse guardian.

"Good night everyone. Sweet dreams," Noble Heart said as he spared one last glance around to make sure everyone was all settled. When the cubs had outgrown their cribs the creative horse had rigged up a variety of sleeping spots for the diverse species of cousins. Several vine woven hammocks hung suspended from the larger branches and wood framed baskets were filled with long dried grasses to create cozy nests for the creatures.

Noble felt a small rush of pride at his ingenuity as he continued his scan of the forest glade. Bright Heart raccoon lay with his paws behind his head, up in his own little nest in the crook of a tree, probably mapping out the star patterns. Cozy Heart was somehow comfortable on the smooth stone near the spring that bubbled up. She claimed that it was the coolest place but Noble Heart was still in awe of how she slept on such a hard surface. Satisfied that everything was fine the purple horse turned and walked to his own little clearing, just far enough away that he wouldn't keep the youngsters up with his reading light.

After he left, the clearing where the cousins slept was utterly silent, but filled with suppressed eagerness as over a dozen eyes watched the moon creep slowly over the horizon. Finally the pale orb completely cleared the skyline and sounds of restless shifting began to fill the forest glade.

"Is it time?" Gentle Heart Lamb whispered to Shy Heart mouse. The soft gray cousin shrugged and tried to see if anyone else was awake while still pretending to be asleep herself. Wild Heart Wolf was the first to get up, gesturing for the others to follow him with a silvery blue paw. The parade of animals stole quietly down the path alongside the river, their rainbow of colors muted by the moonlight reflecting off the water. Even the crash when Lotsa Heart Elephant tripped and fell was quiet enough to blend in with the normal night noises.

"So what are we doing here?" Proud Heart cat asked when they reached the huge tree that the cousins had dubbed the climbing tree due to its numerous large branches. "You didn't just drag us out here to talk more about your mission today did you?" the feline added skeptically as both Wild Heart and Brave Heart clambered onto one of the lower branches so everyone could see them.

"Not exactly," Wild Heart replied firmly, shaking his head as he settled down on the thick branch. Looking around to make sure the other cubs were listening the wolf spoke again, "It's about the part we DIDN'T tell Noble Heart." That caught the attention of his playmates, and he and Brave Heart quickly reiterated the full story of their encounter on Earth.

"Was it really Pure Heart?" Loyal Heart dog asked in amazement.

"It had to be," Brave Heart answered firmly as he met the puppies' eyes.

"Well we've got to go rescue her then," Valiant Heart Otter stated as though it was the only possible course of action, looking ready to take off at the exact moment. "Not just for her sake but for Lost Heart too," the red-brown otter looked around at his encircled family, "You saw how broken up he still is…"

"Wait a minute," Bright Heart Raccoon interjected, looking at the two cousins on the branch with a thoughtful frown. "Why didn't you tell Noble Heart about this? Surely he and True Heart can go to rescue her."

"I thought they might not believe us," explained Wild, his pointed ears perked up eagerly now that the others were interested. "They think Pure Heart died, and even if we could convince them it might take too long. Who knows what Dark Heart is doing to Pure? We can't let him hurt her!" Brave Heart gathered courage as Wild Heart spoke, and added his own part.

"Wild is right, we can't risk letting Noble Heart try to stop us from going just because he thinks we're too young." Brave Heart bit his lip as he hesitated for a moment, but then continued strongly, "And together we're stronger than him AND True Heart. We can beat Dark Heart." A symphony of growls, howl and roars flowed into the night as the other care bear cousins voiced their agreement.

"Good," Wild Heart wolf nodded, his gray eyes shining happily. "We'll go tomorrow as soon as it's light."

"What are we going to tell Noble Heart?" Cozy piped up, raising her purple flipper to get his attention.

"We'll just say that…" Wild Heart answered, mouth twisted as he schemed, "That there's a hospital with a bunch of kids that need cheering up! That way all of us can go," The wolf nodded thoughtfully as he formulated the lie and mentally double checked to see if it would actually work.

"Will he let us go alone?" Someone asked from the back of the crowd.

"Shy, Gentle, that's where you guys come in," Wild Heart singled out the two quietest cousins. "You guys are so quiet and undemanding that I'm sure if YOU ask Noble Heart will have to say yes." The lamb and mouse exchanged nervous glances, and then nodded in silent agreement.

"Ok then," Wild Heart said with finality, clapping his paws and dismissing the group. "Let's get back then. We're going to need some sleep for tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey fuzzy, where's my wood?" A cold voice echoed down an equally cold cavern. The soft scurrying of furred feet was just audible as the echo died down, and Dark Heart looked over his shoulder to see the black bear shuffling into the cavern with an armful of firewood. "Hmph," the boy with red eyes grunted, turning back to the boiling cauldron, "Hurry up and put it against the wall, I need your help."

Wordlessly the young care bear did as ordered and then came to stand patiently at the boys' side. Her paws were clasped behind her back, causing the difference in her small shoulders to be more pronounced. One seemed higher than the other but looking closer one could see that it was bigger, as though it was extremely swollen or the bone underneath was out of place. Numerous scars were visible under the soft black fur that covered her, and she flinched each time Dark Heart moved in her direction. The red head boy noticed this and smirked.

"You afraid of me my little fuzzy?" The black head shook quickly in reply but Dark Heart just sneered and muttered under his breath, "Liar." The evil being merely shrugged though and continued to stir until the mixture suddenly began to hiss and bubble. "Finished! Now…" Dark Heart lifted large spoonful out and turned to the care bear standing beside him, "to test it out. Stand still," he ordered needlessly. Pure Heart shivered, but kept her gaze on the floor and feet rooted in one spot as he took a step toward her. "Put your head up!"

Carefully the young man dribbled the thick liquid onto the image on her white stomach, a black, heart shaped diamond perfectly cut. When he finished he stood up and took a step back allowing the glowing embers to illuminate the gooey mess. Everything was quiet for a moment, then Pure let out a small whimper as her tummy symbol seemed to shimmer. The faceted diamond detached itself and floated in midair a few inches in front of the cub.

"YES!" Dark Heart crowed, throwing his arms up in triumph. "It works! Ha ha!" While he celebrated Pure Heart swayed on her feet, seemingly sick from the sudden loss of her power. The young bear fell to her knees on the cool stone, panting weakly. The boy saw her collapse at the edge of his vision but shrugged it off with indifference—until he saw something else happen. The stolen symbol shimmered in the air again, and then glided back toward the crumpled bear. Dark Heart watched in amazement as it bonded to her again, glistening through the dried fur where he had spread the mixture.

"What?" he exclaimed angrily, grabbing her roughly and trying to snatch the faceted diamond off again. "Stupid, stupid," he muttered, pushing the cub away as he strode back to the cauldron. "It only works until the potion dries. I need to find some way to capture it in between." Muttering he began to rummage around the cupboards in the cavern, pulling things out and slamming them back in disgust. "The liquid doesn't have to touch it…just need the right light…a gem, yes, that will work…. and an ember inside to make the right light…" Dark Heart was so preoccupied with his search that he didn't notice his small slave slip out into the darkened hallway.

It took all of Pures' strength to reach the corner of the passage and slump against the wall. Gasping for breath the black bear pressed her hand against the heart shaped diamond on her stomach. _How can he take it away? And why does it hurt so much?_ She thought, crying silently. Tears poring down her face the girl cub shuffled painfully down the stone hallway, following the upward path when she came to a split. Eventually she reached a fanged door and, taking a breath to steel herself, pushed it open.

_Master will be mad if he knows I came up here._ Pure thought as she emerged into a seemingly normal looking camp cabin—except for the fact that it had a rough stone wall and red-fanged door for one wall. Keeping the door propped open so she could hear if Dark Heart called the black care bear pulled herself onto one of the wooden chairs and leaned on the window sill. Outside she could see a large elm tree, it's thick leaves creating a cool shadow underneath. _That's where that one thing tripped,_ she thought, remembering the scene from last night. Dark Heart had struck her hard to being outside without his permission, but she hadn't told him about the two strange creatures she had seen. _They looked...no, _she corrected herself, _they FELT like me…I wonder who they were…_


	4. Courage Unmatched

_A/N- I'm sorry this took a while to post but I made it extra long to make up for it. I also wanted to thank my readers, a few of who came back to continue reading after my long hiatus._

**Tsubas Kaida**- Thanks for your review, I needed a couple of cousins with personalities that didn't quite match the existing ones, so I'm glad you like Valiant Heart otters brief appearance.

**HopefulHeart-Nairi-** Thanks for coming back for another review, you'll get to see exactly how Lost reacts in this chapter.

**WildTotodile-** Another returning reviewer, I found it hilarious how you point out that Dark Heart is using Pure as a guinea pig because that is exactly what I had written in my notes for that chapter.

So thanks to all and please dont' forget to review and enjoy the story!

* * *

**Ch. 4- Courage Unmatched**

_Lost Heart: Ok, so maybe it was really stupid of me to lie to Noble Heart about where we were going. It was even stupider of me to not leave someone behind who DID know where we were…I'll admit that I was being arrogant, assuming that we would have no trouble with Dark Heart…I really didn't mean to put the others in danger…_

* * *

"Is that the place?" Swift Heart rabbit whispered to Wild Heart. The silvery-blue wolf nodded as he continued to peer through the bushes at the wooden cabin. A red flash of light and a sound like thunder made both cousins freeze in terror, watching the cabin with big eyes. In human form Dark Heart threw open the screen door and stepped out into the sun. Stretching his arms out the redhead yawned as he descended the steps and walked toward the lake. Wild watched him go, then sinking low to the ground he motioned for the Swift Heart to follow him and they army crawled away from the cabin to the thick vegetation of the woods.

"What's the plan?" Bright Heart Raccoon asked as the duo pushed their way into the clearing where the rest of the cousins waited.

"Dark Heart's gone," Wild announced, pulling himself up straight and tall. "Are we ready?" Silently the others nodded, faces set in determination.

* * *

Noble Heart lounged back against the tree trunk, thumbing through a book as the brightly colored leaves rustled quietly just above him. The purple horse yawned, the warm morning sun making him drowsy. _I'll just shut my eyes for a moment,_ he thought, a smile growing on his face as he drifted in that stage between sleeping and waking.

"Noble Heart…" The guardian of the care bear cousins shifted a bit, not sure if he had really heard anyone call his name. "Noble Heart!" the call was louder this time and the horse blinked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes to see clearer.

"What the? Lost Heart? What are you doing here?" he asked, startled to see the black spotted leopard in front of him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the cousin murmured, biting his lip as he apologized.

"No, it's fine, I mean you didn't," Noble stuttered as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, looking at the young animal in amazement. "How have you been?" he finally managed to get out, smiling broadly to show Lost how happy he was to see him.

"Umm, well I'm fine…but…" Uncomfortably the young leopard stood before Noble Heart, his hands behind his back as he bit his lip and looked at the ground. The horse care bear felt his stomach do a nervous flip and cautiously set his book down on the shaded grass.

"What's wrong Lost?"

"The others…they went to earth didn't they?" Lost Heart steeled his face into an emotionless expression as he met Noble Hearts' gaze.

"Yeah," replied the purple horse, wondering what the leopard was getting at. "They went to cheer up some kids in a hospital…" Lost Heart opened his mouth and immediately shut it again, swallowing hard in agitation. The leopard closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then his jade green eyes opened again, determination apparent in them as he spoke,

"No they're not." Noble Heart horse flinched a little in surprise at the strength of his tone. "They're not going to visit some kids, they've gone to face Dark Heart."

"What…how…but…" Noble stuttered, shock clear on his face.

"They've gone to save Pure Heart…she's alive," Lost Heart was shaking with surpressed emotion, fighting to keep his voice steady amidst the mixture of excitement and fear. "They planned it last night while you were sleeping…they didn't know that I heard them." Resolutely his green eyes locked on the horse care bear as he added swiftly, "And I didn't tell you because you would of stopped them. And we have to get her back!" The young leopard clenched his fist in determination, "We have to!" Fiercely he continued to stare at Noble Heart, as though daring him to punish him for keeping such a terrible secret.

"Come on," the purple horse finally growled out, as he gathered his wits and sprang to his feet. "We've got to get to Earth!"

* * *

"Which way?" Brave Heart whispered to Wild Heart wolf, though his voice still echoed against the stone walls of Dark Hearts hideout.

"I'm not sure…" the silvery blue wolf murmured back, peering hard down each hallway as though by looking longer he could see further in the darkness.

"Maybe we should…" Bright Heart Raccoon began, but he was interrupted as Swift Heart rabbit came pelting up to the clump of cousins.

"He's coming! He's coming!" she called out desperately, still fighting to keep her tone at whisper.

"Quick! Split up!" Wild ordered, roughly shoving Brave Heart Lion in one direction while he set off the other way, dragging those nearest to him along. Their footfalls echoed quietly off the rough hewn walls, but Wild was more worried that their terrified panting would attract Dark Hearts attention. "In here," he whispered, yanking open a heavy wooden door and hustling the small group through it.

"Do you think he saw us?" Gentle Heart lamb gasped, bent over with her paws on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

"Well if you didn't hear triumphant yelling, probably not."

"Yeeoow!" the cousins yelped in a chorus of fear as a strange voice answered Gentle's question. Terrified they crowded back against the door they had just come through, Wild Heart Wolf growled fiercely as he stepped to the front to face their enemy.

"Who are you?" His gray eyes tried to pierce the gloomy interior of the cavern, but the flickering torchlight played tricks with the shadows. Finally a small patch of black detached itself from the rest.

"You're the care bear cousins aren't you? Dark Heart really wants to find you, I think you should leave before he gets here." Pure Heart spoke matter of factually as she stepped toward them.

"Pure!" Several of the cousins chorused, rushing forward eagerly to hug their lost family member. The black bears blue eyes grew wide in surprise as she was surrounded by a friendly mass of colorful fur.

"We thought we'd never see you again!"

"You're ok!"

"Pure I can't believe it's you!"

The happy babble from the small family suddenly broke off into a confused silence as Pure Heart roughly shoved them all away and hurriedly backed up a few steps. "Don't…" she managed to whimper, glancing around with terrified eyes as her lower lip trembled.

"Pure?" Playful Heart monkey questioned, taking a small and cautious step toward her, "Don't you remember us?" Slowly the young care bear shook her head, keeping her wary eyes looked on the group of animals.

"Why do you keep calling me Pure?" she asked timidly.

"Because it's your name," Shy Heart mouse answered, concern coloring her voice. "Pure Heart, that's who you are."

"I don't…I don't…remember…" the black cub whispered, dropping her gaze as though she were ashamed.

"It IS your name Pure Heart," Wild said firmly, taking a stride forward and extending a paw toward the frightened care bear. "And we've come to take you home." The bright hued wolf stood still as she eyed him and the other cousins, still trembling a bit from anxiety.

"HA HA! I've got you now!" a deep voice suddenly boomed from outside the cavern, amplified by the stone walls.

"That's Dark Heart!" Gentle Heart lamb quailed, shrinking away from the door.

"He must have found the others! We have to help them!" Bright Heart raccoon ordered, waving the others back towards the door. Quickly they rushed forward, but Wild Heart continued to stand stock still, paw extended towards Pure Heart.

"It won't mean all the much if we escape without you," he told her quietly. The black cub looked up at him in shock, surprised by the strong emotion in his tone. Her eyes flickered nervously to the floor once more, but with a calming breath she raised them again. Clear blue eyes met gray ones as Pure Heart took a small step forward and slid her paw in his. Wild Heart grinned and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Let's go." He said simply, and the reunited family hurried down the hallway to face Dark Heart.

* * *

"It's so nice of you to come to me instead of making me find you," Dark Heart grinned maniacally as he stood before the group of cousins, serpent shaped on short-scaled legs that ended in silver tipped claws. "Just in time for me to test out a new toy!" He hissed excitedly, flicking his tongue out. The other group of cousins had slipped into the damp cavern just before Dark heart found them, not realizing the only way out was how they came in.

"Care Bear cousins, prepare to call!" Brave Heart lion spoke firmly, stepping toward the red snake. "Three, two…" he counted down as the others lined up beside him, looks of fear slowly replaced with a sense of purpose. "Call!" Brave Heart commanded with a roar. All the cousins let loose a cry and bright notes of light to burst from their stomachs to pelt Dark heart. The red-scaled serpent hissed in irritation, pulling back a little from the attack.

"Stupid little fuzzies!" he growled in anger, twisting away from the beams and slinking over to the wall. "Let's see how you like this!" A smirk covered his lizard face as his delicately held up a roughly cut green jewel. Loyal Heart Dog was the first to turn and face him again, letting out a growl as he shot the call right at Dark Hearts face.

The attack hit the green jewel straight on. "Perfect," the demon murmured to himself. The instant the beam hit the jewel it immediately quit shooting from Loyal Hearts stomach. The last little bit of light from the call disappeared, sucked into the dark depths of jewel. "Yes!" Dark Heart crowed in triumph, rearing up and towering over the shocked care bear cousins. Proud Heart Cat growled at him, then she and Swift Heart Rabbit shot their own calls at him. Still laughing Dark Heart merely caught the lights in the jewel. Angry that their attacks no longer hurt him several of the others let off calls with new determination, but as Brave Heart hesitated for just a moment he heard Loyal Heart whimper softly. The other cousin had merely thought the blue puppy had quit shooting the call when it hit the jewel, but now the lion noticed how he was looking in amazement down at his stomach. Were a heart shaped medal had been was now just white fur—the gem had captured his power.

"Guys stop!" The lion cried out, but it was too late.

What do you think of my new trick?" Dark Heart asked, smirking and swaying closer. The entire group of cousins stared in utter confusion at their blank bellies, his jewel had captured each and every one of their tummy symbols.

"Care bear cousins call!" Wild Hearts voice suddenly rang from the doorway to the rough-hewn cavern.

"Wait!" Brave Heart yelled, trying to warn him but it was too late. Thinking that they were helping their family all of Wild Hearts group bombarded Dark Heart with calls. Some connected, making the lithe serpent flinched under the assault, but steadily the emerald jewel soaked up the numerous beams of light, relieving the entire group of their tummy symbols.

"How…?" Wild Heart stammered, staring down in total surprise at his blank stomach.

"Well I believe I like my new plaything," Dark heart cackled, grinning toothily at the mass of helpless animals. For the first time he notice Pure Heart as she cowered behind Wild Heart. "What are you doing with them? Get over here you fuzzy!" He hissed commandingly, eyes beginning to glow red as he realized the care bear cousins had come for her.

"You don't have to listen to him Pure," Noble Heart shocked the entire assembly as he suddenly appeared in the archway and laid a gentle paw on the black cubs shoulder. "I think it's time you went home." She looked up at him in confusion, feeling some fleeting sense of recognition when she saw his face.

"Who…" the black cub started to ask when another figured stepped around from behind the purple horse. A spotted face came into view, reflected in the clear blue of Pure Hearts eyes as she opened them wide. "Lost Heart," she breathed out in a whisper.

"Hey Pure, glad you remember me," the young leopard said, looking shyly at his best friend. Tears began to flow unchecked down both their cheeks as leopard and bear looked at one another in disbelief.

"What makes you think you're going home?" Dark heart threatened, rising up to his full height again.

"Get out of here kids," Noble Heart commanded the youngsters firmly, stepping forward to face Dark Heart. "Go!" he yelled when they hesitated. Obediently the mix of animals hustled toward the exit, Dark Heart watching them go.

"I've got everything I need from them for now," he told Noble, an uncaring look on his face. "Hang on though, not you!" He hissed out as Pure Heart and Lost Heart began to sneak out.

"Go!" Lost yelped, pushing Pure Heart out of the cavern as Dark Heart leaped at them with a growl. But Noble Heart positioned himself in between the red lizard and the two cubs, firing off a bright stare that hit right between the red eyes. Dark Heart let loose a roar of pain, scrabbling desperately to grab the jewel that hung around his neck. But Noble Heart had seen how the gem had sapped the powers from the younger cousins and he was ready for it. Quickly he quit attacking Dark Heart, dodging to one side and then renewing his call from another angle. The angry beast turned to face him again, but Noble Heart was already gone in another direction, constantly dodging and striking so that Dark Heart couldn't capture his power with the gem.

"Stand still!" the serpent roared in frustration, still half-blinded from the first blast. Suddenly there was a light weight on his shoulders and a tightening around his throat. "Gahh!" Dark Heart choked out, feeling as though he were being strangled. Then he heard a small snap and suddenly the pressure was gone. Completely confused, the red serpent frantically swept his silver claws up to his throat—the chain and jewel were gone.

"What?" he bellowed, furiously glancing around the dim cavern.

"Get out of there Lost!" Noble screamed fearfully as Dark Heart spotted the leopard on the stone floor beside him, the broken chain with the jewel held tight in his paw.

"Give it to me!" hissed the serpent commandingly.

"You ruined my life," Lost Heart said simply, his green eyes looking at Dark Heart with cool hatred. Then the leopard cub lifted his paw high and swung the gem in an arc that sent it smashing into the hard stone.

"No!!" Dark Heart screamed, falling to the ground in a feeble attempt to save the green stone. Hastily Lost Heart pushed himself to his feet, pressing back against the stone wall to get as far away from the angry serpent as possible. "You," Dark Heart growled, struggling to his feet with a look of pure fury. "You'll pay for that."


	5. Untile We Meet Again

First off thanks to me reviewers!

**Tsubasa Kaida-** There's a little bit about the bears in here just for you, and a lot more decisions that will affect them!

**Fauna Greywolf**- And just as it gets interesting I start to wrap it up here, oops!

**Zeratul Luke**- Sorry about leaving you on a cliffhanger last time, here's the conclusion to the fight scene! (and no cliff hangers this time!)

**Hopefulheart Nairi**- Glad to hear you were glad to see Pure Heart remembered Lost Heart, you'll figure out why in this chapter!

Enjoy everyone!

* * *

**Chapter 5- Until we meet again**

_Wild Heart: I vividly remember that fight with Dark Heart—mainly tearing out of the cavern along with the others in sheer terror. I'll admit it, I'm ashamed that I didn't stay to fight, but you have to understand something. I had never encountered Dark Heart before; his very presence chilled me in a way I didn't know was possible._

"No!" Noble Heart cried out in anguish as he watch Dark heart approaching the leopard cousin. The demons eyes were glinting red orbs and his silver claws flashed in the dim torchlight.

"You'll pay for breaking that gem," he hissed, approaching Lost Heart with a menacing swagger. The leopard cub stood stock still, green eyes locked on Dark Hearts' red ones with a hypnotized gaze.

"Move it Lost!" A yelp from Noble Heart tore the young cousin out of his trance, and the leopard dove to one side just as Dark Heart struck. The scaled serpent shot his head forward, bouncing off the stone wall when he missed the tan leopard. Hissing in fury the red lizard staggered from the blow, giving Lost Heart a chance to slip past and over to where Noble Heart stood. "Are you ok?" the purple horse asked, receiving a wide-eyed nod in response.

"Don't think you can get away that easy," Dark Heart threatened as he turned to face them. Tongue flicking out he raced forward, short legs propelling him surprisingly quickly across the gray floor. His metallic claws rasped against the stone, red maw opened wide to show curved fangs.

Suddenly Noble Heart felt something ram his shoulder from behind, spinning him around so that he crashed into Lost Heart and they both tumbled to the ground. The horse let out a grunt as he slammed into the hard floor, his blue and green mane falling down into his face. The guardian of the cousins heard a splash, and then heard Dark Heart let out an angry roar punctured by spitting and sputtering. Out of the corner of his eye Noble saw that Pure Heart had a returned, holding some kind of container in her paws whose contents she had apparently just thrown in Dark Hearts' face.

"Get up and get out!" she ordered hastily as the serpent continued to spit the clear liquid from his mouth. Hesitating just long enough to see the two males begin to stand up Pure Heart swiftly took the two steps to the wall and grabbed a torch bracketed there. "Take this demon!" she shouted venomously, swinging the torch baseball bat style and releasing it. Dark Heart had just cleared off his eyes enough to open them and see the flaming brand fly towards him.

"Oh no," he whimpered just before it struck him. The red serpent screamed in pain as his skin erupted immediately into flames, but opening his mouth only ignited the liquid that had flowed in there. Dark Heart screamed even louder, rolling in desperation on the floor to put out the flames as the final members of the care bear family escaped through the disguised cabin door.

* * *

"What's gotten into you True Heart?" A light brown bear asked as he joined his mentor at the window.

"Hmm? Oh Tender Heart, I didn't see you come in." True Heart murmured distractedly, gazing out over Care-a-lot without really seeing it.

"That's exactly what I mean," the younger bear gently pointed out as he too leaned on the windowsill.

"Sorry," the older female sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I just…have a bad feeling about something," she finally said. Tender Hearts' eyes flicked to her face for a moment, simultaneously curious and worried, but he didn't press her. True Heart remained silent for several seconds, her face distorted by unease until she spoke again with resolve, "I'm going to go and see Noble Heart, will you keep an eye on the others while I'm gone?"

"Of course," he answered confidently, "I'm sure that nothing's wrong."

"I hope you're right," True Heart murmured as she felt another cold shiver run down her spine.

Not long after the cream colored bear directed the cloud mobile downward into the forest of feelings, searching for the care bear cousins even before she touched down.

"Hello?" She called out, hopping out of the vehicle as it poofed into nonexistence behind her. "Noble Heart? Kids?" Her gut clenched tight in fear but True Heart forced herself to walk slowly down the path. _I'm just overreacting because Noble Heart talked me into letting the cubs go on missions again. I'm sure that everything is fine, and I have to remember that they aren't little babies anymore._ Feeling slightly calmed the bear forced a smile on her face and strode around the bend that led to the main clearing. Then True Heart froze in dismay at the sight before her.

The care bear cousins were scattered around the clearing, the varied colors of their fur making it look like chunks of rainbow had leaped from the sky to rest upon the grass. Each one of them sat alone, simply staring at their blank stomachs in a blend shock and pain. The glade was filled with silence, but not the kind that usually flowed under the trees as dusk set in. Rather it was the silence after some great terror where no one can yet summon the courage to speak about what has just happened. True Heart felt it immediately and her heart plummeted, tears welling in her eyes as she saw her beloved cubs dealing with the pain that she and Noble Heart had fought so hard to prevent.

* * *

"Look we can't just give up!" A loud, angry voice rose through the canopy of the forest of feelings, answered swiftly by another yell.

"I'm not saying that!"

"So what do you call abandoning the people of earth then?!"

"I'm not saying abandon them! But look at what happened Noble Heart!" The two founders of the care bear family broke off their yelling match for just a moment, both breathing heavily from the stress, fear and sadness filling them.

"I'm sorry," True Heart spoke softly, breaking down into sobs that she fought desperately to control so she could continue speaking. "It's just…this is exactly what we tried to prevent when we saved them in the first place. And the reason we broke them up." Her voice shook a little but the words were clear enough to be understood—yet Noble Heart didn't even look at her and that scared True Heart almost as much as seeing her precious cubs sitting lost on the grass. "Noble Heart?" the bear asked tentatively, taking a small step toward him. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean we should give up on earth but…look at what happened to them today!"

"What happened to them today!?" the horse burst out, balling his fists in anger. "You weren't even there!"

True Heart pulled back in shock at the fervor of his tone, knowing she had crossed the line without meaning too. "I know that, I wish I had been! But Noble Heart, have you looked at them since you got back?" she asked looking at her partner in desperation. "They're…it's like they're…" she struggled to find the right words, her brain still in shock. "Like they're…broken."

"We're not broken," Pure Hearts' gentle voice caressed True Hearts ears as the black cub and her leopard companion appeared from behind the colorful leaves that decorated the forest of feelings. "We're whole," the young cub said simply, walking over and looking up at the cream colored bear with her big blue eyes.

"Oh Pure!" True Heart gulped, grasping the black cub in a fierce hug as she broke down into sobs again. Suddenly she felt a second pair of arms encircling her, and looking up found Noble Hearts' face right in front of her own.

"And before today we weren't," he whispered, tears seeping from his eyes.  
"We were missing something." True Heart didn't respond, burying her face in the comforting warmth of his shoulder as she remembered that no matter what had happened to the cubs to the cubs today, at least they were all together again.

"We think we know how to fix it all," Lost Heart leopard interrupted quietly after a minute, causing the two older creatures to pull back and wipe their final tears away. Seemingly unconcerned Pure waited until they had let her go and then skipped over to stand beside Lost heart, slipping her small black paw into his tan one.

"What do you mean Lost?" Noble Heart recovered first to ask.

"I know how to fix it," the leopard teenager repeated, looking first at one then the other. "Pure knows a way to make everyone forget what happened today. Dark Heart made a potion so she couldn't remember stuff real well, but since he had her make it each day she knows how to do it"

"Forget what happened?" True Heart asked as she wiped away the last vestiges of tears from her eyes. "But why would that help?"

"So that we can beat Dark Heart one day," Lost interjected, growing a little excited as he explained. "The main reason people usually give up on something is because they don't believe they can do it." The leopard cub hesitated for just a moment, as though he was unsure whether he wanted to bring his ideas from the safety of his head into possible reality. "It may kind of be cheating to make them forget but…it will work," he met both True and Noble's eyes with a fierce look of determination. "We can use the potion Dark Heart designed and they'll never know about the powers Dark Heart stole away."

"But how's that going to help?" True asked.

"Because they'll never know that they lost," Pure Heart answered simply, shrugging her shoulders as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The toughest army is one that wins all of its battles. They feel as though they are invincible, and that confidence beats down on their enemies as effectively as any weapon." Both True Heart and Noble Heart looked at the black cub they had thought was dead until very recently, jolted with the shock of how much she had grown up away from them.

"So you just want us to leave them like this?" True Heart sputtered finally, the riot of emotions coursing through her body not letting her remain silent. She threw a look over her shoulder at the rest of her family where they still sat silently on the grass, faces blank with loss.

"No," Pure heart shook her head in response. "If they forget they won't feel this pain, it'll be just like they never fought Dark Heart." The founders of the care bear family looked at each other, conversing silently with their eyes.

"And then you can give them back their symbols so they can still help Earth!" Lost Heart added excitedly, feeling proud that he and Pure Heart had figured out the perfect way to set things right.

"Only one problem," Noble Heart said, "We don't know how to do that."

"But…" Lost Heart leopard stammered, looking at them in confusion. "You said that's what happened when you first brought us here!"

"Yes but we don't know how it happened," True Heart explained, "I think that may have been a one time deal." She saw Pure and Losts' faces fall as she said that, and the bear felt a twinge of guilt for dashing their grand scheme.

"But still," Noble Heart added thoughtfully, "I think it's a good idea." The purple horse looked at True, flicking his eyes to Lost Heart to let her know what he was thinking. Slowly it dawned on True Heart what he was talking about. The cream colored bear gave a small nod of acceptance, her paws clasped in front of her. Noble Heart horse gave a silent smile of thanks and turned back to the two half grown cubs standing nearby. "I think we should do it because….as bravely as everyone fought today it was almost for all the wrong reasons." The tan leopard cocked his head in confusion, face puzzled by what Noble had just said, then a look of horror spread..

"Because they might turn their purpose into revenge against Dark Heart," he whispered just loud enough so they could hear. "…like I did…"

"Yes," Noble nodded in response, giving the young leopard a pained smile. "We can't save the world if we're focused on revenge against Dark Heart. And maybe we should do the same thing to the bear cubs too."

"How much can we control this potion?" Lost Heart interjected, glancing over at his best friend.

"I'm not sure," the black bear shrugged her shoulders, "I know how to make it so it either lasts forever or just for a little while like the one he used on me. And I can probably figure out how to make it stronger or weaker but I don't think I can target specific memories. "

"That's fine," he answered.

"What are you thinking Lost Heart?" True asked, looking at him in curiosity.

"If we can pull it off so the cousins don't remember fighting Dark Heart, but remember him capturing Pure Heart…"

"Capturing me? Why?" the black cub asked in confusion.

"Because losing you gave them a good reason to fight, but since no one but me knew what he actually did to you they didn't care about hurting him specifically. It was enough to use your memory as motivation to teach the whole world about caring." The smaller cub blushed under her dark fur, not realizing what an influence she'd had on her family.

"I'm not sure we can be that precise…" she mumbled, biting her lip as she thought about it.

"I'll test it," a new voice, emotionless as it was, surprised them all. The quartet swung their heads around to see Wild Heart wolf pushing himself to his feet with some difficulty. "It was my idea to go after all," he continued flatly, looking at them with a pained gaze.

"Wild," True Heart murmured, taking a step toward him and pulling the sliver-blue wolf into a hug. He didn't hug her back, looking instead at Pure Heart with dull blue eyes.

"Ok," the black bear said, her tone colored by sadness. "Let's get started."

* * *

_A/N- All right, thanks for reading. This was a hard chapter to write, especially the end so please review and let me know if it worked. Only one chapter left!_


	6. Ever After

_A/N- I apologize this chapter is long overdue, a year and half is far too long for a six chapter story. I apologize and I hope this final chapter was worth the wait. Thanks to everyone for reading so far and I hope you enjoyed._

_P.S. Kudos to anyone who can figure out the significance of the chapter names ;) (answer at bottom)_

* * *

**Chapter 6- Every After**

_Wild Heart: Ok, so offering to test the memory elixir probably wasn't my best idea—that drink was disgusting! We kept it secret from most of the others, because as Pure Heart pointed out magic is only so strong and we didn't want them fighting its effects when the time came. And that time came all too soon…_

* * *

"Come on Brave Heart just drink it. Everyone else already had theirs," True Heart bear coaxed, offering the half-grown lion a cup full of a light colored liquid.

"I hate medicine, and I don't really feel sick" he grumbled without any real interest in arguing.

"It'll make it all better, I promise sweetheart," the creamy bear stated, giving him a light kiss on the forehead. True Heart had to bite back the tears as she watched the young lion trudge off, half-heartedly protesting the taste of the forgetting drink. He settled down in his usual spot, the other cousins scattered around though none of them were talking, merely sitting and staring hopelessly into space. _I wish we could have told them the truth about what's going to happen but Pure said she doesn't think the brew is strong enough if they fight to remember..._

"That's everyone," Noble Heart said as he came up behind her and put a paw on her shoulder.

"Except for us," she whispered back, leaning against him a little in exhaustion.

"It's not to late to change your mind."

"You're not choosing to forget are you?"

"No," Noble shook his head, gaze drifting sadly around the glade where the cousins were scattered. The blank, white stomachs still made him shudder, though their empty stares made him feel even worse and he was glad for the drowsiness that was closing those unseeing eyes. "Someone has to watch over them for a little longer," he continued, glancing over at True Heart. "But I can take care of them and the other cubs, you don't have to do this."

"I want to, someone has to remember" she assured him, though there was a slight quaver in her tone.

"Or we could watch them and neither of you would have to worry." The unexpected voice made the two older creatures jump in surprise, and True frowned when two smaller forms walked up.

"But I thought…"

"Sorry we skipped out on the drink True," Pure Heart broke in, apologizing before either adult could scold them. "Lost and I didn't want to forget..." Beside her, the leopard cousin nodded in agreement unconsciously leaning closer to his once lost friend. True Heart and Noble Heart exchanged looks, both feeling the weight of what they had just submitted all their beloved cubs too—they didn't have the energy to stand up to the troublesome duo. Noble tried a little anyways.

"Look you guys," he sighed in exhaustion, "you know you can't stay here with everyone else if you're going to remember what happened. It's too easy to mess with the memory solution. Even True Heart and I are going to have to stay hidden from them."

"We know, that's why we're going to disappear too," Lost Heart responded, watching his guardians carefully.

"But we could still keep an eye on everyone if you want us to," Pure added nervously, trying to distract them from what Lost has just said.

"Disappear?" True Heart repeated, looking at the black cub and leopard in shock. Lost nodded.

"We don't…" the tan leopard struggled to find the words as Pure Heart waited patiently by his side, faithfully trusting him to explain to their adopted parents. "I guess…we just don't fit in here anymore," Lost Heart finally spat out, his words a mix of disappointment and relief.

"Do you promise to come and check in every now and then?" True Heart spoke up, surprising the other three with her lack of protest.

"Yes mam," Pure promised, recovering the quickest.

"Ok then," the cream colored bear, sighing as she stepped forward and wrapped the two youngsters in an embrace. "Be careful you two, watch out for each other."

"We always do," Lost Heart leopard assured her, purring a little.

"I know, I know," True admitted, pulling back and looking into their faces proudly. "We do love you, and no matter what, and I _mean_ no matter what, you two will always have a place in this family. I promise."

'Thank you True," Pure Heart murmured, giving her another quick hug before shifting to Noble Heart.

"I didn't mean you had to disappear entirely," the purple horse whispered into the black cubs ear. "We only just got you back…" The girl cub squeezed him tighter but didn't say anything as she broke the embrace and padded back to stand by Lost Heart.

"We'll be careful, and we'll come back to see you now and again," the leopard promised as his best friend joined him.

"Promise," Pure Heart swore. With that the duo turned and vanished into the brightly colored woods, leaving Noble Heart and True Heart alone.

* * *

_Epilogue-_

_Wild Heart: I guess that's about all there is to the story that I know of. Pure Heart bear and Lost Heart leopard disappeared into the forest of feelings and never went on a caring mission again. Not that any of us held it against them, they both did their share to bring caring to earth—their loyal friendship was the example the entire care bear family strove to achieve. Though I don't think any of us ever got that close, except maybe Secret bear and Friend bear._

_Pures' memory loss solution worked well enough. Noble Heart and True Heart watched us finish growing up from the shadows, occasionally visiting earth for some desperate situation or other, but mainly leaving it to the growing care bears. The drink of forgetting didn't affect their ability to care at all, they were still eager to help the people of earth learn to share their feelings and make the world a better place._

_Secluded in the forest of feelings we cousins didn't realize what was happening on earth, and when the care bears first showed up in the forest of feelings none of us recognized our old playmates. However it was still in our nature to care and teach others so there was no problem convincing us to join them for a big mission to earth. Later Tender Heart helped us to regain our tummy symbols—something True and Noble had been dubious about being able to do. I know that I was personally ecstatic to have my symbol back, even not remembering that it was missing I had always thought my white stomach was just too plain._

_Anyways, you know the rest of the tale. Together, we and the care bears worked to protect earth from evil and darkness. Over the years the effects of the memory solution faded, but when the memories returned we were better prepared to cope with them. Enough missions had passed that we all had a real sense of what we were doing and why, so it didn't become all about revenge as Noble and True had feared—though Dark Heart was definitely our most bitter rival for the things he had done._

_With our memories back True Heart and Noble Heart returned to our lives as well, teaching and nurturing us as they had in the past. With their help we defeated Dark Heart once and for all—by turning him to good. He became one of our greatest allies on earth, working on his own to spread caring._

_Pure Heart and Lost Heart Leopard drifted in and out of our lives. We always welcomed them as family, but the two of them would disappear before too long. I felt bad for them, though they never seemed upset at not living in care-a-lot. I dunno, maybe it had something to do with the memory drink. Their recollections were sharp and clear, while mine and everyone elses always seemed a bit foggy; like they were second hand._

_Whatever it was though we all had our place, and everyone was happy. At least that's what I thought, until one night I went to talk to Noble Heart in his study._

"Hey Noble Heart, I wanted to ask you if I could have one of the cloud cars tomorrow," I said, entering without a knock since he had always laughed whenever one of us cubs did that. He always said there was no business in our family that shouldn't be shared to lighten the burden and if he wanted privacy he'd hide in his room.

"Huh? Oh sure, whatever kiddo," he responded absent mindedly, staring at the small, worn sheet of paper in his hand.

"What've you got?" I asked inquisitively, it took a lot to distract the purple horse.

"Something from a long time ago," he murmured, caressing its edge with a thumb. He was quiet for several seconds, and though I thought about leaving, something made me stay. Noble sighed, letting his hand rest in his lap with the paper.

"Wild, are you happy?" he asked out of nowhere.

"Wha?" I sputtered, eyes searching his face and suddenly realizing how old and tired he looked. "Of course? What kind of silly question is that?" He just smiled.

"Let me put it another way," he tried again, pausing thoughtfully. "If you could have gone through life without being a care bear cousin, just living, growing up in the forest of feelings, would you have done it?"

"Why? I don't see anything wrong with living this way," I pointed out, settling down in a chair and resting back against it. "Making earth a better place, what could be better?"

"I'm not just talking about what you guys accomplish, what about everything you gave up?" His eyes bore down on me, and Noble seemed almost desperate. "Like a chance to be selfish, not having to come running whenever someone is in trouble. Having the chance to have a family that doesn't number in the dozens so you get lost. What about a choice to change what you want to do in life?"

"What the heck has gotten into you Noble Heart?"

"Sorry Wild," he apologized, leaning back in the wooden chair and blowing his mane out of his eyes as he collected his thoughts. "It's just…you guys never really had a choice in this life, I feel like True and I made it for all of you when we agreed to protect the earth and save you cubs from Dark Heart. We basically enlisted you in the fight against darkness, without even a say in the matter." My jaw dropped open as he talked, but the care bear family founder didn't seem to notice. "Forcing all you cubs to grow up together and treat each other as one family, it just seems so…."

"So right," I interrupted him, unwilling to hear more. "Look Noble Heart, I don't know where you got the idea that all of what you and True Heart have done is bad, but you've got it all wrong." Unthinkingly I run a paw over my ears, trying to brush off the guilt that flowed from him.

"I think I speak for everyone when I say that we love this life," I continued finally, trying to remember every point he had made. "We love living in a big family, I mean how many kids growing up can say they have enough sibling to stage an entire baseball game on their own?" That raised a slight smile on his lips, and it heartened me to see him turning back a bit into his old self.

"And as for teaching everyone on earth to care and helping protect them, there's nothing better I could think of. Plus with all of us together we can achieve a lot more than any of us alone. So yeah," I shrugged, still trying to overcome that shock and wonder at what had made him say such things in the first place. "I think you guys did a great job deciding our futures for us. And I don't think anyone objects."

"Wow Wild Heart," Noble complimented, nodding a little for emphasis. "That was just about the most insightful thing I've ever heard you say. Sure you don't have a fever?" he joked, reaching forward with a paw to check my forehead.

"Knock it off old man," I laughed, feeling relieved. "At least I'm not the one acting delirious, and second guessing everything."

"You never did learn tact did you?" he grinned back, stretching and putting his paws behind his head.

"Me? Learn something? Nah…" I scoffed jokingly.

"I guess you cubs did all turn out all right," Noble heart mused, his gaze drifting to the open doorway as a couple of figures passed by. "True and I argued a lot about whether it was right to put you guys through more missions after everything that happened to you as cubs. It was funny," the purple horse sighed as he reached once more for the small slip of paper on his desk, "normally she was the one who was all cautious, but that time it was me who was wondering if we did wrong. I was all worried that it would be too much for you all to handle, but I guess she knew that you guys were tougher than that!"

"Of course we are Noble Heart, we are the care bear family after all!" I threw on my best cocky face and he burst out laughing.

"Right you are," he chortled, slapping me lightly on the shoulder as he stood up. "I gotta get going and check on some stuff in the hall. Oh and Wild," he added, a paw resting on the doorframe. "This time when you take the cloud car remember to put the keys back so someone else can find them?"

"Hey!" I retorted, jumping to my feet, eyes wide and innocent. "I thought that the fridge was a great place for them!" Noble Heart just laughed, waving me off with a paw as he disappeared into the hallway. Glad that he was back in a good mood, I took a last look around the office before closing the door. My gaze fell on the scrap of paper, and curiosity got the better of me. After all, Noble had always told us that his office was open to all.

It looked like a short letter. The words were handwritten, neatly as though this were a final draft of some long and much edited work. Though it was obvious from the discoloration and soft feel that the sheet was old and well read.

_To my little pure hearts, my wild hearts and more-_

_I watched you playing in the sun,_

_a rainbow on the pure white clouds_

_with ever only smiles on your faces._

_Every one of you I love with all my heart_

_and yet I may be sending you_

_to a place of no return…_

_Please forgive me, little lost hearts_

_….I know not what else to do._

_-Noble Heart_

"You made a good choice," I whispered to the air, carefully setting down the worn scrap back in its place. "There's nothing to forgive."

_Wild Heart: Yeah, yeah I can't end it on a sappy note, that wouldn't be like me would it? So instead I'm going to remind you that our stories are about us, but they're also about the people around us. Hence why my story is more about Lost heart and Pure heart than it is about me. No one gets through this life alone…and there I go getting all sentimental again. Oh well, I guess every now and then it's ok. Hopefully Lost heart will think I did this tale justice, though not so much that he'll make me write another one. Fare well!_

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A/N- Anyone figure out the chapter titles? The first letters spell out Rescue, which is what this story was all about. Just something a little extra ;) Thanks again for reading and please leave a nice review!  
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